Source: Nepal News
KATHMANDU, NEPAL, January 9, 2003: Christian missionaries have congregated on the outskirts of the capital city, where they are discussing the pros and cons of a strategic plan which aims to multiply churches across the Himalayas. They plan to achieve this by exploiting the marginal conditions of religious communities in the face of the worsening conflict. More than three dozen senior Christian missionaries, fluent in Nepali and mainly from the Western countries, are partaking in what they assert is an International Non-Governmental Organization Business Meeting that began on January 4. According to The Kathmandu Post which obtained a copy of the strategic plan, the missionaries assert in their vision statement that “We will work to establish churches in the Himalayan region, and sending churches and like-minded organizations in bi-vocational holistic ministry.” The missionaries’ strategic plan encourages such institutional projects as hospitals, something the document says has been the historical methodology of TEAM Nepal, a partner of the Himalayan Partners. “In keeping with TEAM’s philosophy of Health Care Ministry, our health care initiatives are to facilitate the growth of the body of Christ by restoring physical, emotional and spiritual wholeness to individuals, families and community through preventative and curative medical services while demonstrating the love and compassion of Jesus Christ.” The missionaries also plan to place personnel in national organizations or in government-sponsored positions, which is “another platform that can make an impact in church establishment.” The missionaries “believe in ultimately establishing indigenous reproducing churches.” The document continues with the belief “that missionaries are most effective when we teach and train nationals rather than doing the work ourselves.”